[May 23, 2013] Wi-Fi Networks for Smart Grid Applications Tweet NEW YORK, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Wi-Fi Networks for Smart Grid Applications http://www.reportlinker.com/p01187552/Wi-Fi-Networks-for-Smart-Grid-Applications.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Wireless_Technology More than a billion devices with Wi-Fi capability are sold globally each year. Once thought of strictly in terms of personal area networks for Internet access, the 802.11 Wi-Fi networking standard is now filling an expanded role within the smart grid ecosystem, including wide area networking applications like AMI backhaul and substation and distribution automation applications. Yet, in home area networks, Wi-Fi-based nodes have not made serious headway against the entrenched ZigBee standard, but efforts are underway to reduce the power consumption of Wi-Fi chipsets and to ensure their interoperability with ZigBee-based devices. These developments, along with advances in mesh-based Wi-Fi solutions and emerging wide-range 802.11-based standards, should lead to broader acceptance and deployment of Wi-Fi technology for smart grid applications. Wi-Fi solutions have been utilized in numerous municipal utility smart grid deployments, although many utilities remain concerned about interference and poor propagation for solutions based on Wi-Fi standards. Navigant Research forecasts that annual shipments of Wi-Fi communications nodes for smart grid applications will surpass 1.2 million worldwide by 2020. This Navigant Research report details emerging developments with the Wi-Fi standard and analyzes its value as a smart grid communications network for a variety of applications. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the demand drivers and inhibitors, and details its use in municipal utility smart grid deployments. Key industry players are profiled and worldwide unit deployments of Wi-Fi-based communications nodes are forecast, segmented by application and region, through 2020. Key Questions Addressed: What are the advantages and disadvantages of Wi-Fi as a communications solution for utility applications - Where have municipal utilities deployed Wi-Fi-based smart grid technology What can other utilities learn from these deployments - How does Wi-Fi compare with ZigBee as a standard for home area networking smart grid applications - What new standards are in development for 802.11 Wi-Fi-based technology and how will they affect the attractiveness of Wi-Fi as a communications solution in the smart grid - What are the pros and cons of using Wi-Fi based communications over unlicensed spectrum How great is the risk of interference - How large is the market opportunity for vendors of Wi-Fi-based solutions worldwide, and how extensive will utility implementations be by 2020 Who needs this report Utilities- Smart grid technology vendors- Wireless communications equipment vendors- Industry associations involved in wireless standards development- Investor community Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Market Update2.1 Wi-Fi Background2.2 Wi-Fi Standards and Spectrum Considerations2.2.1 Current 802.11 Standards2.2.2 The ISM Bands2.2.3 Emerging Wi-Fi Standards2.3 Wi-Fi in Smart Grid Applications2.3.1 Wi-Fi versus ZigBee2.4 Drivers and Inhibitors2.4.1 Market Drivers2.4.2 Market Inhibitors 3. Key Industry Players3.1 Municipalities/Utilities3.1.1 Avista Utilities3.1.2 Burbank Water and Power3.1.3 Fort Collins Utilities3.1.4 DTE Energy3.1.5 Duke Energy3.1.6 Guam Power Authority3.1.7 Kansas City Power & Light3.1.8 Public Service Company of Oklahoma3.1.9 Silicon Valley Power3.2 Equipment Vendors3.2.1 ABB/Tropos Networks3.2.2 Aclara3.2.3 Alvarion3.2.4 Aruba Networks3.2.5 GainSpan3.2.6 Intwine Energy3.2.7 Itron, Inc.3.2.8 Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.3.2.9 Redpine Signals3.3 Industry Associations and Consortia3.3.1 Consortium for Smart Energy Profile Interoperability3.3.2 Wi-Fi Alliance 4. Market Forecast4.1 Global Outlook4.1.1 North America4.1.2 Rest of World4.2 Applications 5. Conclusions and Recommendations5.1 Recommendations for Utilities5.2 Recommendations for Vendors List of Charts and Figures Wi-Fi Smart Grid Communication Node Shipments by Region, World Markets: 2012-2020- Wi-Fi Smart Grid Communication Node Shipments by Application, World Markets: 2012-2020 To order this report:Wireless_Technology Industry: Wi-Fi Networks for Smart Grid Applications Contact Clare: [email protected]:(339) 368 6001Intl:+1 339 368 6001 SOURCE Reportlinker http://rt.prnewswire.com/rt.gif NewsItemId=BR19991&Transmission_Id=201305231635PR_NEWS_USPR_____BR19991&DateId=20130523 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]